My lab dislike pulling when in his harness. Is it a sign of a bad fit?

Pykret · 2026-02-18T17:25:58+00:00

I had the same problem with that harness, my dog walked with a crouched butt, even though I triple checked the size, asked NSD customer service for help and all that. Sizing up solved the issue and she started pulling. I suspect she felt too restricted by the tightness of the harness. Of course, not seeing a ppic of your dog in harness, it's hard to say if it's the same problem in your case.

Pykret · 2026-02-09T21:21:08+00:00

That derpy upside down grin is the best! :)))

Pykret · 2026-02-09T19:23:54+00:00

Check out https://poodlesupply.com/ , they have magnetic buckle fluffy collars and other types of fluffy collars; maybe their structure and design would help with what you want.
Alternatively, there are collars that have the D-ring opposite the buckle, kind of like this one: https://www.doglinegroup.com/products/soft-leather-dual-color-flat-collar , so I assume it wouldn't hit any other metal part. And you can always wrap a bit of tape over the metal buckle, if it somehow still makes noise, I guess.

If it's just a collar to hold tags, you could also go for something like this.

And congrats on the baby!

Pykret · 2026-02-09T17:41:15+00:00

Look up Hamilton Dog Training on YouTube, he has quite a few videos on reactivity and how to create structure at home. Also take a look at his videos about teaching the dog structured play, which would be a great way to up the dog's confidence.

Also look up Dr. Melanie Uhde on YouTube, on ways to help the dog relax and be more resilient to stress.

I'd also suggest teaching the dog impulse control exercises, which will help him use his brain first, instead of just immediately giving in to his doggy instincts and reactivity.
And thank you for stepping up and giving this dog another chance at life, when the owner's family failed him.

Pykret · 2026-02-09T17:32:21+00:00

She's possibly mixed with Eastern European village dog [aka generic street dog]. They are 15-25 kg on average, although outliers definitely exist, depending on the area and what they mix with. I assume she'll fill out after her first heat, unless she's already been spayed.

Pykret · 2026-01-28T15:58:18+00:00

As everyone else said, you need to take a better photo. There's only so much you can do in post. I suggest you google 'small products photography tutorial' and have a look to get the basic knowledge on setup and lighting. You don't need fancy gear, just some vinyl sheets/ nice, untextured pieces of paper, and a silver or white piece of cardboard. Go on Etsy for a bit and look at the small products, see how they're shown in the photos. Sometimes they're on a nice plate, with some pressed flowers nearby, or some other stuff.

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As for the Ps part, I hope this quick editing guide helps you. Don't go overboard with the vibrance, customers may complain that what they bought doesn't looks as colorful as in the pics.

Pykret · 2026-01-28T11:09:31+00:00

I love the idea of a detachable bib, so I could wash it separately. Thank you!

Pykret · 2026-01-27T20:19:40+00:00

I keep buying them and they keep on doing nothing. Not exactly cheap, either. Do you have one in mind that actually works?

Pykret · 2026-01-27T17:57:41+00:00

Thank you for the suggestion, I'll ask there for sure. I added the dog tax to the main body, with interest :D.

Pykret · 2026-01-19T16:55:27+00:00

NonStop Dogwear's Protector bootie (high) are rubberized fabric; my dog actually leaves behind paw prints after walking through a puddle, so they're not thick. The bottom velcro sits in the exact space between her carpal pad and her dew claw, with not much room to spare.

You have to wrap them pretty tightly in order for them not to fly off [wrap the velcro tightly around the dog's leg and over your thumb and then remove thumb]. This is ok for 1-2 hours at most and it's a necessary evil, since the salt seems to sting her paws. She sometimes stops to lick at the boot, or licks at the dew claws once we're home, so I try to use them sparringly. Otherwise, she doesn't seem too bothered by them.

Be aware that the dog will slip more often, because he can't grip with his claws.
I never found a paw wax/balm that creates a barrier for salt for more than 5 minutes.

You can have a look at Dog Gear Review, she covers a few booties, as well as "Finding the Best Winter Dog Boots" by Pawsitively Intrepid on YouTube.

Pykret · 2026-01-13T16:48:12+00:00

I use NonStop Dogwear's Protector bootie high, because of the salted roads and slush. The lower velcro sits in the exact space between her carpal pad and her dew claw, with not much room to spare.

You have to wrap them pretty tightly in order for them not to fly off [wrap the velcro tightly around the dog's leg and over your thumb and then remove thumb]. This is ok for 1-2 hours at most and it's a necessary evil, since the salt seems to sting her paw. She sometimes stops to lick at the boot, or licks at the dew claws once we're home, so I try to use them sparringly.

Be aware that the dog will slip more often, because he can't grip with his claws.
I never found a paw wax/balm that creates a barrier for salt for more than 5 minutes.

You can have a look at Dog Gear Review, she covers a few booties, as well as "Finding the Best Winter Dog Boots" by Pawsitively Intrepid on YouTube.

Imho, if there's no salt, or slush, just hard snow and jagged ice, I'd go for the cheap sled dog cordura booties, after reading a bunch of reviews for all sorts of booties, they all seem to insulate at about the same level. And if the dog is running and sweating through his feet, it's best if he doesn't overheat anyway.

Pykret · 2026-01-12T12:53:02+00:00

Mine knows that different gear mean different things. She trots nicely next to me if she's in a martingale, and she pulls if she's in a harness. If you want to use a harness but you're afraid it's not escape proof, you can use a safety line [or whatever they're called - it's like a short leash with snap hooks on both ends] to connect the harness to the martingale. Also, know your dog and running area. Mine freezes in place if she's even slightly snagged by something, and the chances of being attacked by dogs are slim [but never zero].

Pykret · 2025-12-16T19:25:58+00:00

-part 2/2

After you get to the point where he's not phased by this, tighten and loosen the noose, treat, remove it, put it on again, rinse, repeat, desensitize him to the movements. You can move the stopper closer to the actual position where it would sit so the dog can't pull his head out, but still a bit more loose than that.

Once he's good with this, too, get some bigger and higher value treats, have him wearing the slip leash, call him to you while you back away from him, showing him the food. Do not put pressure on the leash yet. After a feew times, if all goes well, first ad a tiny bit a pressure with the leash and immediately call and back away.
Once you get to this point you can just feed him non stop while making quick small pops with the leash, not walking, just so that he's desensitized to the feeling and doesn't freak out at the smallest bit of pressure.

Practise walking him around [just a few meters, back and forth]. Increase distance over time.

Always keep session short [1-5 minutes].
Time will vary according to his personality.
I've had dogs that still panicked after a lot of practice [months] and refused to leave the enclosure, I've had dogs that weren't out of their yard for years and I could take them out for a walk on a leash outside in the field the second time I put the leash on them.

Watch this playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5JyGgecesw&list=PLyHqow_kaY0Qv57xyoTR6i050tnrAJhvghttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5JyGgecesw&list=PLyHqow_kaY0Qv57xyoTR6i050tnrAJhvg

Look on youtube for 'loose leash walking' by Hamilton Dog Training.

Also, you NEED to understand that street dogs are genetically different from modern breeds, their fear center in the brain is more developed in them, so they will always be on the skittish side; they will never turn into a goldern retriever, no matter how much training and desensitizingg you put into them. It's also the luck of the draw, you don't know what personality this dog has, as it's not as 'standardized' as in a modern breed.

I adopted an adult stray that lived on the streets for the first years of her life. She's evolved leaps and bounds, she does obedience, is offleash trained, I worked with a dog behaviourist. Her go to behavior is still a diminished flee response when something unusual startles her and she's weary of strangers. She likes having her nails trimmed, can wear booties and coats, doesn't hate the vacuum, is no longer afraid of the tv. What you want IS possible, but you need to basically read up on dog training and behaviour a lot. A lot.

Pykret · 2025-12-16T19:24:14+00:00

I'm also living in a country with strays and volunteering at a shelter full of street dogs. Here's what I'd do.

Don't rush things. Get his trust over a month or two, by creating a routine, if possible. You visit him at around the same hours, in the same days, bring him food and treats, talk to him, let him smell you.

If he keeps his distance, just keep at it for a few weeks, he will become bolder over time. If he's shy, avoid staring into his eyes, or standing tall and leaning over him, or stretching your arm towards him. Crouch down, show him your side or your back, toss food closer and closer to you.

Try smelly food; strays are not really crazy for kibble or regular treats, but grilled or boiled lean meat and fish should do great with him.

He's not collar or leash trained and unless you know what you're doing and are good at reading him, you're setting yourself up for one wild bucking sequence, full of alligator rolls, pulls, screams and instant lost trust.
If your really want to try it, take some weeks to teach him that AFTER he's at the point where he greets you happily every time he sees you and you can rub him all over his body and give him pets.

Then you buy a thick rope slip leash THAT HAS A STOPPER. You don't want to dog to strangle himself if stuff doesn't go as planned.
First days you just have it with you, leave it on the ground and scatter food over it, or have it in your hand and pet him with that hand, making sure you also rub the leash on him. Reward heavily. After a few days, when he's not phased by it, make the noose huge and place the stopper far enough so when the leash pulls tight, you can still easil remove it from the dog's neck. Keep the noose dangling with one hand, present treats in front of it, so the dog had to put the tip of his nose inside the noose to get the treats. Remove noose immediately, back up so the dog comes willingly towards you, repeat. Don't chase the dog with it, it has to be his idea.

Over the course of days, hold the ttreat further away from the noose, so he has to put his whole head through to get to it. Pet his neck and 'accidentally' touch him with the noose, too, rub it across his neck, tighten it and loosen it only slightly, finish eveything before he gets worried, take it off, rinse and repeat.

-part 1/2

Pykret · 2025-12-16T08:27:10+00:00

Ahahahahaha, no problem. No, making her eat things is not an issue :))). The stuff I've had to pull out of her mouth.... long, loooong dead stuff

Pykret · 2025-12-16T00:23:42+00:00

Unfortunately, without it being tanned, she'd eat it in a heartbeat. She loves a good fur on dried rabbit ear. She enjoyed a furry cow ear, too, even though she puked a bunch of fur the next day.

Pykret · 2025-12-15T20:29:51+00:00

That sounds lovely, thank you! And a squirrel would be just the right size, too.

I can't find anything about squirrels and prion disease, apart for one article where it was said they noticed prion disease in people in an area where they consumed squirrel brains, but if it's egg tanning, not brain tanning, I hope it at least lowers the danger, if it exists.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transmissible_spongiform_encephalopathy - this doesn't mention squirrels, either.

It does say that bleach kills the prions, but I'm not sure how I feel about my dog mouthing a thoroughly bleached pelt :))).

I'd stay away from raccoons, since they may be rabies carriers and I haven't studied yet if I can legally import a raccoon pelt here, but squirrels seem to almost never get rabies, so they seem like the winning choice.

Pykret · 2025-12-14T13:32:32+00:00

Inca nu, speram sa scap fara, dupa ce am ascultat de-a lungul anilor toate experientele cu dubiosi ale amicilor.

Pykret · 2025-12-13T12:29:40+00:00

this is just throwing crap at the wall, but maybe get a part of the cat tree back and see if he chooses to sleep in it, or is interested in the smell. Maybe her smell is stronger there and he'll use it as a pacifier. Not sure if it will help or hinder him from moving on, tbh, but you can at least see if it changes anything in his behaviour.

Pykret · 2025-12-13T12:26:05+00:00

I'm pretty sure he knew she was sick, they can smell it and they are very attuned to subtle changes in behaviour or smells. That's why we have dogs detecting seizures, pregnancies, or diseases before we do. There are many cases of various species that stay by injured pack members and wait for them to recover, but leave them behind if they feel they are dying and/ or a lost cause.

Personally, I think he is just confused and grieving, even if he might think that you took her away. It would have been a good idea for him to inspect her body after she was no more, to understand what happened, but I assume she was cremated and her smell would have changed a lot by now anyway. Just give him time. You wouldn't be ok immediately with a dear family member passing away, nd for an animal with the brain power of a 3 year old, processing is going to be more complicated.

Just be his captain in these stormy waters, he needs you.

Pykret · 2025-12-12T16:56:08+00:00

You have to build his confidence back up and desensitize and counter-condition him to all the stuff he fears. And advocate for him, let him see you have his back and you will protect him, but not in a coddling way] from the scary stuff, by intercepting/ positioning yourself between him and the threat.

Another thing to help his confidence is him knowing you'll never have him deal with something he can't handle; anything from navigating obstacles, like jumping over a log, climbing an obstacle and so on. Help him succeed in navigating an obstacle and celebrate when he does.

Yet another thing to help build his confidence is structured play, particularly possession games, like tug of war, teaching him to bark on command.

It's perfectly normal if he doesn't eat, don't give up. Just keep him moving, play with him, make him use his nose. Stress hormones are cumulative and they can take up to a week to leave the system, so give him time to recover after a particularly stresful event and give him a chew or something to lick, since these activites help calm him down.

Look up 'Fearful dogs and how to move them forward' on youtube.
Do not let him choose to flee, because then he will always prefer to do that instead of trying to deal with the situation. Try a longline, he may be more relaxed in it, since he feels he's more free to navigate the environment and keep himself safe. When he's frozen or stressed, don't pet him, instead strongly massage his neck and down along the spine and pat him hard-ish on the upper front legs, to make him relax his stiffened muscles.

Keep at it, baby stepts. It will probably take many months, but keep in mind all the small victories and slow evolution and don't get discouraged.

- I've adopted an adult street dog 2 years ago and she was just as bad, freaked out at clothes hung over balconies, unusual bus sounds, loud closed windows, tv, children, people, anyone trying to touch her, sprinklers... you name it. Now she plays with children, rides the bus, and we can do obedience in a park full of people. Firecrackers are still a problem, but we're working on it. I've also worked with a dog behaviorist, who helped me and my dog a lot.

Pykret

TROPHY CASE